14. Read all the books of the bible

I've been a Christian since I was a senior in high school. I'm now 33 years old. I'm embarrassed to admit that until now, I had not read all the books of the bible. There were a few books in the Old Testament that although I read parts of them, I've never read them all the way through. I can now say that I have read the entire bible. Understand it? No. Love it? Mostly. I am one of those crazy (insert sarcasm) Christians who really does read and love the Old Testament. So many people today want to separate the "Old Testament God" and the "New Testament God". Yet, God does not change. He is the same in the New Testament as He was in the Old Testament. A Holy, Loving, Compassionate, and Gracious God. It's sometimes harder to see in the Old Testament, between all the sacrificing, fighting, war, and threats of destruction. Which is why I said that I "mostly" love it. It's hard to understand why God did a lot of the things He did in the Old Testament. Then I remember that God's ways and thoughts are higher than mine. I can't possibly understand the why behind it all. So I don't get so frustrated when I don't get it.

I'm glad I put this on my list to do. Historians and sociologists tell you: "To understand the present (and future), you must understand the past." And it's true. Reading the New Testament takes on a deeper meaning when you pair it with the Old Testament. But in order to pair it with the Old Testament, one must read it.

4. Weekend away with Matt, 34. Go to a wine festival

Matt and I have been married 12 years, this August. And this weekend was his birthday. Two great reasons to go to the mountains! We went to a music festival at Chateau Morrisette. We spent two glorious nights at a bed and breakfast. I had a whole three days worth of meals that I didn't cook or clean up after. We did wine tastings, sat on a lawn drinking wine and listening to music and watching drunk hippies dance, went antiquing together, saw deer on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and got up close and personal with a hummingbird while eating our breakfast on the porch.

Black Dog sangria at the festival

Grapes at a vineyard

I am so thankful I put this on my list. Those people who are fans of wine (those who aren't fans just haven't had the right wine yet!) should take a trip to the Chateau Morrisette vineyard. Or even the Shelton Vineyard in NC. And when you go - let me know so I can come with you. 

28. Take a cooking class

Meet Jackson from Williams-Sonoma. He is a jam canning expert. He showed a group of about 10 of us how to make and can three berry jam. I learned the difference between water baths and pressure cookers. I learned why ball jars are the best jar to use. I learned how to make jam without the pectin.

Here's the jam before canning it:

Guess what my next big purchase will be?! Yes. Canning supplies. Matt usually has a big garden with lots of extra veggies that we end up cooking and freezing. But I love my freezer space, so if I can the extra I save my freezer space for my bulk cooking meals.

Overall, I had a great experience at the Williams-Somona cooking class, which by the way was free and they offer a variety of classes all throughout the year. Next time, I'll bring Matt along and make a (free) date out of it!

56. Go to bed at 10

My usual bedtime is after 10pm. Way after 10pm. Ever since I was a teenager, I was a night owl...preferring to stay up and be productive, then sleep in. I do my best organizing, planning, cleaning, etc at night.

My bedtime this week is 10pm. Yikes. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Beginning tonight - July 5, I will be going to bed no later than 10pm for a week. I'll shoot for a 7 day week, but settle for a 5 day week.

Gotta go. I have less than an hour to get the kitchen cleaned, house picked up, and some home school lesson planning.

UPDATE: I did it. Sort of. Close enough. For 5 nights, I mostly went to bed at 10. Lights were out. Some nights, I was actually able to go to sleep right away. Others, I couldn't. To be honest, I only really loved the 1st night. The others were work to make myself go to bed at 10. Another negative - the house. Disaster. Evenings are usually when I pick up from the day. Clothes get folded and put away in the evenings. Dishes get washed. Dishwashers get unloaded for the next morning.

Going to bed at 10 made it so that I didn't get all that stuff done. So while I may have woken up a little less grumpy, I came downstairs to a dirty kitchen. Which in turn made me grumpier than if I had just stayed up until 11.

Overall - I checked this off just to check it off. It didn't change my life or schedule at all.